


Change of Heart

by cfo_absolute



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Child AU, F/F, Family Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-01
Updated: 2018-04-07
Packaged: 2019-03-25 11:02:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13832793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cfo_absolute/pseuds/cfo_absolute
Summary: Lena's always been adamant that she did not want kids. But loving Kara has changed her mind.





	1. Chapter 1

  
  


Kara looked around the park, hands on her hips, in full Supergirl garb, and smiled. Kids ran back and forth, laughing as they climbed the rock wall, sprayed each other with water guns, and shoveled food into their faces. Kara felt a gentle tug on her cape and looked down to see a pair of green eyes staring up at her from behind a mob of dark hair. 

 

“Well, hello there!” Kara smiled and crouched down so she was eye level with the little girl. She couldn’t have been more than six. “What’s your name?”

 

“Elsie.”

 

Kara stuck her hand out for the little girl to shake, smiling when she did timidly. “Nice to meet you, Elsie. I’m Supergirl.”

 

Elsie nodded, her dark ringlets shaking around her face as she did. “I know.”

 

Kara laughed. “You know what, Elsie? I think I might have something for you.” The little girl bounced on her toes in excitement as Kara reached behind her to pull something out from behind her back. It was a sticker that read “Super in Training” with her symbol above it. She peeled off the backing and pressed it to the smiling girl’s shirt. “Perfect! Now everyone will know not to mess with you.”

 

Elsie squealed in delight as she peered down at the new addition to her t-shirt. “Can I hug you?” 

 

“Of course!” Kara opened her arms, pretending to lose her balance as Elsie bowled into her, wrapping her small arms around Kara’s neck. 

 

Before long Elsie was skipping away, the space beside Kara now occupied by a taller brunette. “You’re good with kids.”

 

Kara looked over and smiled at Lena. “Isn’t that why you invited me?”

 

Lena looked away to hide her grin. “I have to admit that I had kind of a selfish reason for asking you to some to this.”

 

“What’s that?”

 

“I was kind of hoping it might spark a conversation between us.” Lena answered quietly, making sure no one was close enough to overhear. “About having kids.”

 

Kara’s eyes snapped wide, but in a moment she had her face trained into a more neutral expression. She was still in uniform, after all. “Y-you wanna talk about having kids?”

 

Lena nodded. Although she realized that that probably wasn’t the time or the place to continue this conversation. “I’ll see you at home?”

 

Kara just nodded dumbly after Lena as she walks away. 

 

*****

 

“Lena? Are you home, baby?” Kara called into the apartment as she unloaded food onto the kitchen counter. 

 

“It’s about time. I’m starving.” Lena appeared next to Kara, bumping her hip affectionately. “Hi.”

 

Kara honestly didn’t think she would ever get tired of coming home to Lena. “Hi.” She leaned down to kiss her wife hello, letting out a slight sound of surprise when Lena’s hands wrapped around her waist and tugged her close. “I thought you were starving.”

 

Lena hummed against Kara’s cheek, lips lingering dangerously close to her ear. “I never said for food, did I?”

 

“Let’s eat dinner first and then you can have your way with me.” Kara laughed. She tried her best to ignore the shudder running down her spine as she pulled herself from Lena’s grasp and turned back to the food. “Besides… Wasn't there something you wanted to talk about?”

 

Lena turned away to busy herself with plates and glasses. “There is. We can eat first.” Lena had been looking for a moment to have this conversation for weeks. Now that the opportunity was in front of her her stomach was in knots. 

 

Kara could sense Lena’s nerves. She laid a hand over Lena’s frantic ones. “Let’s talk. Food can wait.” She pulled Lena by the hand to the stools that lined the kitchen island and gently guided her on to one before stepping between her knees. She waited for a moment to see if Lena would speak first, but Lena’s heart was going a mile a minute and her eyes suddenly seemed preoccupied with a spot on the floor. “I, um… I thought you didn’t want kids.” Kara said eventually. 

 

“I didn’t.” Lena whispered, her eyes still trained on the floor. 

 

“What changed?”

 

A long moment went by and Kara began to wonder if Lena had heard the question. She was about to repeat herself when Lena’s eyes abruptly rose to meet hers.

 

“You.” Lena said. “Honestly Kara, I didn’t even think I could be in a healthy relationship until I met you, let alone have children. I was raised by nannies, absentee parents, and a brother who went mad. I didn’t exactly have a good model for how to raise a family.” Lena sighed as she stopped to gather her thoughts. Her mind was racing. She’d had all afternoon after the picnic to figure out what to say and she still found herself rambling. “But you… Kara, you showed me that it’s possible to have a love in my life. And I know  _ you _ want kids-”

 

“Lena, I don’t want you to change your mind just because of what I want.” Kara interjected.

 

But Lena shook her head. “I’m not.” She reached forward to lace her fingers together with Kara’s. “Kara, I want a family with you. Every time I see you with a kid I wonder if that’s how you’d be with our children. I want that.”

 

Kara stared down at their intertwined fingers as she thought. “We’re not exactly normal, you know.” She mumbled. 

 

“I think we gave up on normal a long time ago, love.” Lena chuckled softly when Kara gave her a pointed look. “I know what you mean. And I also know we’d both do anything to keep our family safe.”

 

Kara hung her head. More than anything she wanted a family, to build something with Lena outside of the two of them, to share the incredible love they had for each other. But she was scared. And with Lena’s vulnerability before her she felt guilty for her fear. “What if something happened? What if I didn’t come home one day?” Her voice was heavy, barely above a whisper. 

 

Lena scooted forward on the stool, pulling Kara closer as she moved. “Kara, if we thought like that I never should have married you.” She leaned up to kiss the corner of Kara’s mouth. Kara’s lips twitched up slightly in response. “But I’ve learned that we can’t let fear rule our lives. You taught me that.”

 

Those words are what prompts Kara’s tears to fall. And it both breaks Lena’s heart and startles her because she assumed she’d be the one crying during this conversation. 

 

“But sweetheart, if you’re not ready or if you don’t want-” Lena started but was swiftly cut off by a firm shake of Kara’s head. 

 

“Lena, I want a family with you. I do.” Kara’s tear filled eyes rose up to meet Lena’s. “I’m just scared.”

 

Lena smiled, lips stretched wide with love. “I’m scared too. But loving you has shown me that a lot of times the things were most scared of are the things we need this most.”

 

If Kara wasn’t crying before she certainly was now. She tugged Lena up and off the stool and into her arms, burying her face in Lena’s shoulder. “Have I ever told you how much I love you?”

 

“It’s been mentioned a few times, yes.” Lena turned and pressed a kiss to Kara’s neck.

 

“And I love you. More than anything, Kara.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara and Lena have a lot to talk about in terms of having kids, but when Kara brings home an orphaned alien girl, their time table might get moved up a bit.

Kara woke the next morning with a face full of hair. It wasn’t her hair. At some point in the night Lena’s must bun must have fallen because her locks were now serving, very effectively, as a blackout curtain that had fallen over Kara’s face.

“Lena, your hair is suffocating me.” Kara said, but made no effort to move. Lena mumbled something into her pillow that even Kara couldn’t understand. “Huh?”

Lena sighed and rolled over. Her hair pulled itself out of Kara’s eyes. “I said ‘Too bad’.” Her voice was sounded irritated, but there was a smirk on her lips.

Kara scoffed. She scooted forward to press a kiss to Lena’s cheek. “Good morning to you too.”

“You know what would make this morning even more perfect?” Lena mused, tucking herself against Kara’s chest.

“What’s that?”

“Waking up with a little one.”

Kara couldn’t have stopped the smile that took over her face if she had tried. She turned to bury her face into Lena’s hair, on purpose this time. She took a minute to let her mind wander, imagining this same moment with the addition of a tiny body sandwiched between hers and Lena’s. Her heart swelled at the thought, the idea that Lena really did want a family with her. “That would be pretty perfect.”

“And coffee.”

Kara laughed. “Well, I can help with one of those right now if you wanna untangle yourself.”

Lene reluctantly agreed. She loved cuddling, but Kara made the best coffee she had ever had. Pulling on an oversized sweater, Lena trailed after Kara into the kitchen and made herself comfortable on a stool while she waited.

“Pancakes?” Kara asked over her shoulder.

“If you’re offering.” Lena watched Kara move around the kitchen and she couldn’t help but envision what their mornings would be like with a child. She pictured a miniature Kara toddling after her in the morning. Or cuddled comfortably in Lena’s lap as they watched Kara flip pancakes.

“What are you smiling about?”

Lena looked up to see Kara grinning back at her with a curious look. “Nothing.” Lena found herself embarrassed at how invested she’d become in that brief daydream.

Kara handed her a mug with a knowing smirk. “Liar.”

Lena accepted the mug gratefully. “I was just lost in a fantasy, I guess.”

Kara moved back into the kitchen to pull out ingredients for the pancakes, looking back over her shoulder every few seconds so Lena knew she was still listening. “Anything you wanna share?”

Lena stared down into her coffee for a moment before she found the words she was looking for. “You really think we can make it work?” She whispered. “Having kids, I mean.”

Kara stopped what she was doing and turned to face her wife, leaning her forearms against the counter. “I think that I love you and I think that you’re going to make an amazing mom. So yeah. I totally think we can make it work.”

Looking at Kara’s blinding smile, Lena wondered why she had ever had any doubts.

“Don’t get me wrong.” Kara reached the rest of the way across the kitchen island to kiss Lena softly before moving back to her mixing bowl. “It’ll take some serious planning and adjusting, but we’ve made it through literal apocalypses.” She turned to wink at Lena over her shoulder. “We can do anything.”

That made Lena feel better.

*****

It rained for the rest of the week. Well, stormed, really. The skies opened up and rain, thunder, and lightning poured down over the city. For the most part Lena enjoyed it. It reminded her of the boarding school she’d spent most of her childhood at. And she did get a kind of twisted pleasure out of the fact that the storm kept Kara in the house more than normal. Kara didn’t enjoy the rain and she didn’t enjoy being stuck inside, but Lena did enjoy all the extra energy her wife seemed to have from being cooped up.

Until the storm hit its peak and neighborhoods across National City started flooding. Kara raced around the city, helping rescue crews pull people, animals and precious items from the water. Lena’s heart swelled as she watched the news footage of Supergirl reuniting a little boy with his kitten that had been left behind during a chaotic evacuation.

Then the floods hit the Luthor Family Group Home. It was a sudden, flash flood that hit in the middle of the night. Lena wanted go, to help where she could, but Kara wouldn’t have it. It was too dangerous, she said. Let me handle it, she said. So this time when Lena sat watching the news coverage her heart was beating wildly out of her chest. Eventually she couldn’t stand to be still so she paced the floor of their penthouse, news channels streaming on the tablet in her hand. She watched helplessly as Kara pulled child after child from the wreckage that once was the Luthor Family Group Home, one of the only good things Lena had ever managed to do with her family’s fortune.

It was well after midnight when Kara finally came home. The news coverage had ended long ago, but Lena couldn’t sleep. She was sitting at the kitchen island when Kara finally came through the door. It was silly to be worried about the Girl of Steel in a bit of rain, but Lena couldn’t help herself. And more than that she needed Kara to reassure her that all of the kids were okay.

She stood to go to Kara, but was stopped by a bundle shuffling in behind her wife. Upon closer inspection Lena realized that that shivering bundle was a child, one that Lena recognized with her dark curls and bright, terrified green eyes. Elsie.

“Lena.” Kara said. She held her hands out in front of her as a gesture of surrender. “Before you get mad, there’s something you need to understand. There was nowhere else for her to go.”

Lena wasn’t really sure what Kara was implying. “What do you mean there was nowhere else for her to go?”

Kara’s eyes filled with tears before she could even try to stop them. “She’s an alien, Lena. No one else would take her. It was either this or the DEso for the night until they could find somewhere else to place her.”

“So you brought her home?” Lena asked. Everything clicked into place. Of course Kara had brought her home. Of course sweet, compassionate, loving Kara had brought Elsie home. Lena was acutely aware of a pair of eyes watching her from behind Kara’s legs.

Kara nodded through her tears. “I couldn’t leave her.”

Lena found that even if she had wanted to be angry, even if she had focused on her shock and confusion and tried to coaxed it into anger, even it- She couldn’t have. Not with Kara standing in their kitchen in tears. Not with Elsie’s wide eyes staring at her from underneath the hood of an NCPD issue hoodie that was several sizes too big.

Lena moved, slowly, in front of Elsie and crouched down in front of the little girl. Looking her in the eye now Lena realized that those eyes weren’t entirely human. How on earth had she missed that before? “It’s Elsie, isn’t it?”

Elsie nodded. She didn’t seem ready to speak yet.

“You’ve been through quite a lot today, haven’t you?” Lena asked, softly. “Would you like to stay here tonight? If you ask nicely, we might even be able to convince Kara to make pancakes in the morning.”

Elsie cracked a smile at that. It was a small one, but it warmed Lena’s heart nonetheless.

Kara sat with Elsie while Lena made the bed in the guest bedroom. Elsie seemed hesitant to be in a room by herself, but after a dozen or so assurances from Kara that she’d be just on the other side of the wall, Elsie began to relax. Lena watched with a heavy heart as Kara tucked Elsie into bed, promising that she’d be there in the morning.

Lena was waiting when Kara finally dragged herself into their bedroom. “Kara…”

“Lena, please.” Kara was exhausted. “I know we need to talk about this, but- I just…”

The pleading in Kara’s voice broke Lena’s heart. Lena reached out to pull her wife down next to her on the bed. The moment she had her arms around her Kara broke completely, weeping into Lena’s shoulder. “Oh, Kara…”

“I- I couldn’t leave h-her.” Kara choked out.

“I know.” Lena pulled her arms tighter around Kara as she cried. Lena knew why Kara was so upset. She’d always had a soft spot for the kids at the group home. They were all geniuses, all different, all orphans. They were all like her, all like Lena. Now that place was gone (not for long. Lena would have it fixed in a matter of days, of course). Lena was sure Kara had taken one look at Elsie and seen her own work crashing down around her again. “It’s okay, love. It’s okay.”

Kara’s chest heaved as she cried. “I couldn’t leave her.” She sobbed again.

“I know.”

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara's affection for Elsie grows, but it starts to become clear that Elsie may be more than just an orphan.

For a moment Lena had forgotten that an alien child had spent the night in her house. She woke up alone and immediately found herself irritated by the fact that her bed was empty, her house was quiet, and Kara didn’t seem to have left a note. She always left a note. But when Lena finally pulled herself from beneath the covers, she heard a soft voice singing what she vaguely recognized as the Kryptonian lullaby that Kara would hum when she was missing home.

 

She found her wife and Elsie curled up on the couch together. Elsie was wearing one of Kara’s college sweatshirts, swimming in it, really as she laid with her head on Kara’s shoulder.    She was still half asleep. 

 

Lena genuinely thought her heart might burst. 

 

Kara must have heard her standing there because after a minute or so Kara began to slide out from under Elsie, laying the girl gently on the couch as she stood. She smiled sadly at Lena as she lead them out into the kitchen. Far enough away that they could talk without waking Elsie, but still keeping the girl in sight. 

 

“How is she?” Lena asked even though she was sure she already knew the answer. 

 

“As good as she can be expected to be.” Kara slouched down onto one of the stools at the counter. “I don’t think she slept at all last night.”

 

Lena frowned at the way Kara’s body slumped, weighed down by exhaustion and sadness. “I don’t think you did either.” Kara just shrugged. “You were listening for her.”

 

Kara nodded with a sigh. “I just needed to make sure she was okay. I know what it’s like to be alone in a strange place.”

 

Lena watched as Kara fought back tears. “Is that why you brought her home with you?”

 

It took every ounce of Kara’s power and strength not to break down completely, break down again. She wracked her brain for the words to explain to Lena how she had felt as she carried those kids to safety, how she’d felt when she saw Elsie standing there, soaking wet and shivering, and  _ alone _ . But when she looked up to meet Lena’s eyes Kara realized that she didn’t need to explain anything at all. Lena knew her. Lena understood. “I’ll have to take her into the DEO today.” Kara said eventually in place of an explanation. “I’ll have Alex check her out and make sure she’s okay, see if there’s anything we need to know about her. I don’t, uh… I don’t even know what planet she’d from.”

 

There was a question in Kara’s voice that Lena knew she was terrified to ask, but it was one that Lena answered anyway. “You should bring here back here when Alex is done with her tests.”

 

“Really?” Kara asked, eyes sparkling hopefully.

 

“You said yourself she has nowhere to go until the home is back up and running.” Lena offered. “And I’m certainly not going to make a child spend the night at the DEO, alien or not.”

 

Kara wanted to jump off the stool and kiss Lena like she’d never kissed her before. She wanted to pull Lena into her arms, this incredible woman who would make room for an orphaned alien girl who had no one else to turn to. Again.

 

“Kara?” A small voice called from the couch. 

 

Lena felt a soft brush on her cheek that she knew to be Kara’s lips as Kara flew past her to the couch. 

 

“Hey. Hey, I’m here.” Kara pulled the trembling girl into her lap, paying careful attention to the amount of strength she was using. “You’re okay.”

 

Elsie cuddled closer to Kara. Her tiny hands fisted themselves in the thin material of Kara’s t shirt. 

 

Lena approached the pair quietly. Elsie was obviously shaken up and nervous. Lena didn’t think she could like with herself if she had made things worse. “How are you feeling, Elsie?” She asked softly.

 

“Okay.” Elsie eyed Lena from the safety of her spot nestled against Kara’s chest.

 

Lena hummed softly with laughter. One word. That was progress, at least. The night before she’d only gotten a wary look and half a smile. “Would you like something to eat?”

 

Elsie’s round face broke into a wide smile. Lena couldn’t help but think how much it reminded her of Kara’s. Elsie twisted around in Kara’s arms to look up at her. “Pancakes?”

 

Kara had two pairs of pleading, green eyes staring at her. There was no way that she wasn’t making pancakes and honestly, that was just fine with her.

 

*****

 

Several gigantic stacks of pancakes later, Elsie, Kara, and Lena arrived at the DEO. Lena began to wonder if all non-Earth species had the same, outrageous, high speed metabolism. She thought Kara could eat, but Elsie had matched Kara pancake for pancake, stack for stack. Lena had tried to keep count, but somewhere after twenty a piece she had given up.

 

Now she sat in the med bay of the DEO doing her best to ignore the pointed, borderline suspicious looks she got from the agents and staff who passed by. She held back a sigh. Almost three years married to Kara and it seemed she still hadn’t completely won everyone’s trust.

 

Elsie seemed to have warmed up to her though. Lena was grateful for that. Lena had been forced to drive, alone in the front of the car because Elsie had refused to be seperated from Kara, even by just the few feet that would have allowed Kara to sit up front in the passenger seat. But here in the med bay, Elsie had insisted on sitting sandwiched between the two of them and every now and then Elsie leaned a little further into Lena’s side. Lena resisted the urge to put her arm around the girl.

 

Alex, Lena thought, was surprisingly soft and gentle as she walked Elsie through the array of tests despite Kara’s constant objections.  _ Alex, is all this really necessary?  _ Alex maintained that, yes, all the tests were completely necessary, but Lena sure a few of them went beyond the normal check for injuries. 

 

“Well, Elsie.” Alex said eventually, bent down so she was eye level with the little girl. “I think we’re all done here.”

 

“No more poking?” Elsie asked.

 

Alex smiled back. “No more poking. And you were super brave by the way.”

 

A deep voice pulled everyone’s attention to the doorway. “I don’t mean to interrupt.” J’onn said. “Elsie, would you mind staying here with Agent Danvers for a moment while I talk to these other two ladies?”

 

“Her name is Alex.” Elsie answered plainly.

 

Kara couldn’t hide her laughter at that. “Are you okay staying with Alex for a minute?” She waited until Elsie nodded before she grabbed Lena’s hand and led them into the hall after J’onn.

 

“Is there something wrong with her tests?” Kara questioned the moment they were out of earshot.

 

J’onn shook his head. “No, we’re still waiting on most of the results.” J’onn crossed his arms in a way that made Kara nervous about whatever he had to say next. “I just wanted to let you know that all the arrangements have been made for her here. Vasquez has volunteered to stay with her.”

 

“What? No. Elsie’s coming home with us.” Kara said.

 

Lena didn’t have to look at her wife to sense the tension radiating from her.

 

J’onn sighed. He had expected resistance. “I understand you’ve formed a bit of an attachment to the girl, but she’s a young alien of unknown origin and ability. The best place for her right now is here at the DEO.”

 

“The best place for her is with someone she feels safe with, someone she trusts.” Kara snapped, her anger rising. Why the situation had ignited such rage in her though, she didn’t know. 

 

“She’ll be safe with us.”

 

“But she won’t feel like it.” Kara shook her head, fists clenched at her sides. “No, she’s coming home with me and Lena. And I’m done talking about this.” Without another word she turned and walked back into Elsie’s room. 

 

“I hope you can convince her to see reason, Lena.”

 

“Actually, J’onn…” Lena shrugged, a silent apology for what she was about to say. “I agree with Kara.”

 

“Do you really think that Supergirl is the best choice to look after this child?” J’onn was shocked. He was sure Lena would be on his side.

 

“I do.” Lena turned to follow Kara. “And I’d like to see you try to seperate them.”

 

J’onn sighed again as Lena walked away. “Very well.”

 

*****

 

Later that night, after Kara had put Elsie to bed, she sat in the kitchen with Lena and Alex as they went over Elsie’s test results. 

 

“I’ve only seen physiologies similar to hers, but from what I can tell most things seem normal. She’s physically healthy, at least.”

 

Kara leaned over the counter to look at the page in Alex’s hand. “What do you mean, most things?”

 

Alex flipped the sheet around so that the other two could see it. “This is a scan of Elsie’s brain. For the most part it’s the same as that of a human’s, which is what made the anomalies stand out to me.”

 

Lena considered the image in front of them. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the handful of spots that were lit up, brighter than everything else. “Is it possible Elsie’s brain is just different?” She asked. “I mean, no one’s a hundred percent sure what system she’s from.”

 

Alex shook her head. “I’ve studied hundreds of different species from systems all over the place and I’ve never seen anything like this. It looks almost…” Alex struggled to find the word she wanted. Eventually she threw her hands up in exasperation. “I don’t know! Artificial?”

 

That sounded ridiculous. Even to Kara. “You’re saying someone made her?”

 

“No!” Alex threw her hands up again. “Maybe? I don’t know. I want to run more tests to say for sure.”

 

The idea of more tests, of bringing Elsie back to the DEO to be poked and prodded for another day made Kara’s stomach turn. There was a part of her, a part that was intensely protective of Elsie and that part was growing stronger by the minute.

 

Lena could see the conflict written plainly across her wife’s face. “I’m not sure that’s the best idea right now.” She spoke to Alex, but her eyes were trained on Kara. She didn’t miss the small breath that Kara released. “I think maybe we should give Elsie a few days. She’s been through a lot.”

 

There was something going on, something between Kara and Lena. Alex saw it, but she couldn’t put a name to it. And she had a feeling that they wouldn’t tell her if she asked. So she left it alone. 

 

“We’re not taking her back, right?” Kara asked, as she closed the door behind Alex. “I just… To the DEO, I mean. Something about what J’onn said- I know he would never hurt her, but I just-”

 

“Kara, sweetheart.” Lena took Kara’s face gently in her hands, guiding her to look her in the eye. “She’s staying here with us. As long as it takes for the repairs to be finished at the home, she’s staying here.”

 

That seemed to calm Kara. “Right. Until the repairs are finished.”

 

Right.


End file.
